"It's taken quite a bit out of me personally. It's been a very difficult and complex case.

"It's been hugely frustrating, but at the end of the day it's all been worth it and Pompey are alive and kicking."

The club had been in danger of losing their 'Golden Share' - and effectively membership - with the Football League, who had warned Pompey they must come out of administration before the end of the season.

The PST have raised around £2m in pledges with fans' donating £1,000 each to save the club.

They are also backed by several High Net Worth individuals, who also support the club, and they have bankrolled the Hampshire outfit for several months now,

One of those HNW's is Iain McInnes and he will become chairman of the club as and when the PST takeover is complete.

This was the second case to determine the future of Pompey with the initial hearing in December adjourned.

It marks the end of several torturous years for a club that has been in administration twice in three years and suffered relegation from the Premier League to the Championship and now League One.

With another 10-point penalty on the way, a further relegation to League Two is expected.

On a day of drama at the High Court after two adjournments the case was finally heard and lasted only several minutes as Katharine Holland QC revealed an "agreement in principle" had been struck.

Holland asked for further time to seal the deal and after BDO returned at 15:00 BST several more adjournments followed before the judge declared it had been completed and the sorry saga was finally over.

It means Chainrai's four-year hold on the club is at an end.

Birch will now start the process of bringing the club out of administration, which is expected to be completed on 22 April.